subject: Interesting Things about Potatoes [print this page] Interesting Things about Potatoes Interesting Things about Potatoes
The potato today is very popular and a normal staple in most countries. This vegetable is now a common staple in most homes, with a very wide variety being added over the years, it is hard to believe it has only been with us for only a few hundred years. The potato has been grown in South America more than a few thousands of years in the past and was only brought over to Europe in the 16th century by Spanish explorers. It was not until the 18th century that it began to become widely accepted as a nutritious food. After that, people began to learn how to grow potatoes. The potato many years in the past had to face various unfair prejudices - it was not eaten by some because it was not mentioned, not even once, in the Bible. People in medieval times blamed potatoes for causing leprosy and tuberculosis. The English in old times even thought it was the reason why people became lustful. Even in modern times, countless people from all walks of life still blame this vegetable for causing obesity. Can I mention large French fries to go please? Families all over the world desire potatoes enough to grow them in their own backyards and most of the time without using harmful chemicals to produce them. Common questions that most potato growers would ask before they begin their potato growing hobby would be: "which type of potato should I grow?" The choices would be between earlies' and maincrops'. The early variety will provide new potatoes during the summer season while the maincrop will provide tubers during the winter season. The generally accepted rule would be, if planting space is limited then plant the Earlies variety of potato for summer consumption. If there is a larger planting space then the maincrop varieties are used for summer eating and winter storage. Knowing when to make adjustments is all part of the process of learning how to grow your potatoes or any vegetable for that matter. Try to get the best from the ground by selecting a sunny position with as little shade as possible. The soil should also be free from frost pockets. Most types of potatoes can be grown in virtually all soil types. Plough in plenty of well rotted compost or manure in the autumn if none has been added for a previous crop. This will enable the lightening of heavy soils and give body to lighter ones to help prevent the leakage of nutrients. Mix a general fertilizer on the soil 2 weeks before the potato planting season. Do not add lime, the newly grown potatoes prefer slightly acidic soils with pH of just under 6. Seasoned gardeners who know how to grow potatoes normally don't plant them in the same ground in successive years but leave 2-3 seasons before planting potatoes again. This technique prevents the build-up of diseases and which can hinder the crop growth drastically.
